EVENTS

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First of all, I would like to express my gratitude towards the Trustees of the Andries Steenkamp Benefit Sharing Trust for inviting me to be part of this historic lecture. I’m privileged and feel honoured and humbled to deliver the first lecture on the legendary giant and champion of a leader, Andries Steenkamp, who was affectionately called DRIES by his colleagues, counterparts and those who knew him.

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I will talk about the Way of the SAN People by reflecting on some of the important contributions Andries Steenkamp made to advancing all communities in general and, in particular, that of San communities.  I will talk about the roles he played within the San communities, his dreams, and visions he had, aspirations and the place of San communities he envisioned within a global society.    

I must emphasize that I’m just laying the foundation for future in-depth lectures on the life of Andries Steenkamp. See this briefly reflecting how Steenkamp lived The Way of the San. 

 

For some of you who hear for the first time the name Andries Steenkamp wonder who this person was, so let me start with the question, WHO WAS ANDRIES STEENKAMP?

 

Andries Steenkamp (Dries) was born on 28 January 1960 on the Farm called Swartkopdam, near Upington in the Northern Cape, South Africa. The people in his community acknowledged Steenkamp as a wise young man and a passionate young leader for his community. Steenkamp stood up for the improvement of the living conditions for his community, and that already laid the foundation for his greater community work into which he dedicated his entire life in the years that followed. Steenkamp was a good husband to his wife Magdalena (Aunty Kura), a father and an evangelist in the Christian belief. He was an honest, hardworking and respected community leader.

With the advent of democracy in 1994 in South Africa, Steenkamp actively intensified his advocacy work to advance and restore the human rights and dignity of San communities. He contacted other San leaders, who collaborated on issues of common interest within the San communities.

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Let me share some important historical achievements in which Steenkamp played crucial roles. In 1999, Steenkamp was part of the leadership that successfully reclaimed and ensured the restoration of the ancestral land of the ‡Khomani San in the Kalahari. Steenkamp was one the first leaders of the ‡Khomani San Vereniging vir Gemeenskaplike Eiendom (CPA).

Hy het ook San gemeenskappe op internasionale arenas verteenwoordig. Steenkamp was ‘n aktiewe deelnemers by the COP9 internasionale byeenkoms wat in 2009 in Bonn in Duitsland plaasgevind het. Die globale diskoers op klimaat-verandering affekteer alle samelewing van die wêreld. Steenkamp se deelname en bydrae was nie net vir die San mense (alleen) nie, maar ook vir alle mensdom. That was the way of the San, protecting biodiversity of the nature is in actual fact preventing adverse climate change for the good of humankind.  

In 2010 Steenkamp was elected as the South African San Council Chairperson. Steenkamp held this position until the time of his passing in 2016.

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Steenkamp het in sy lewe die belange van die gemeenskap eerste gestel. As lid van die Suid Afrikaanse San Raad het Steenkamp baie bygedra tot die Hoodia Voordeel Verdelingsonderhandelinge. Die San het ooreenkoms bereik in terme van die Hoodia Voordele Verdelingsonderhandelinge.

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Die San mense het sukses behaal in die onderhandelinge. Die geskiedkundige oomblikke van die San word ongesiens verbygegaan. Die San leiers was baanbrekers wat daarin geslaag het om vir hulle gemeenskappe voordele te besorg uit hulle oer-oue inheemse kennis. Steenkamp was deel van die leierskap wat ‘n belangrike mylpaal behaal het. 

Dit was tydens Steenkamp se voorsitterskap van die Suid Afrikaanse San Raad, toe die Raad nog ‘n voordele verdelingsooreenkoms gesluit op die medisinale plant, bekend as Sceletium.

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The Way of the San was and is to stand up against the practices of selfishness. Pharmaceutical companies extracted traditional medicinal plant knowledge from the San; they further developed into various human consumable products and kept the proceeds thereof for themselves. Andries Steenkamp was one of the leaders who stood up and said THAT WAS NOT THE WAY OF THE SAN. Traditionally, the San people equally shared benefits from commonly shared indigenous knowledge among themselves.

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What was the way of the San that guided Steenkamp? When faced with challenges like famine or in times of scarcity. The San people always supported and helped each other. When a group of energetic younger hunters went out in the veld for hunting, the successful hunters ensured that the less privileged family also had something to eat.

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Mededeelsaamheid was krities belangrik in die lewe van San mense. Steenkamp het diepe liefde vir sy medemense gehad. Laat ek met u deel ‘n oomblik wat ‘n navorser met Steenkamp te doen gehad het. Die navorser het vir Dries ‘n vraag gestel en deur daardie vraag het die navorser homself belet om weer sy voete binne die gemeenskap neer te sit. Hy het vir Dries gevra, “hoe kry jy regdinkendes in jou gemeenskap?” Steenkamp het onmiddelik die navorser aangesê om sy goete te pak en te loop.

Dit was nie verbasend om te sien hoe Steenkamp lewendig en aktief deelgeneem het aan die ontwikkeling van San Kodes vir Navorsings-Etiek. In enige gemeenskappe kry ‘n mens minder bevoorregs en kwesbares wat beskerming benodig.

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Kom ek haal aan uit die San Code of Research Ethics, wat Steenkamp gesê het, “ Your house must have a door so that nobody needs to come in through the window. You must come in via the door, that is to say via the San Council.” 

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Laat ek een voorbeeld met julle deel uit die ryke voorbeelde van Andries Steenkamp. Afrikaans was Steenkamp se eerste taal. Die apartheid regering het nie toegelaat dat die San mense hulle moedertaal kon praat nie. Steenkamp het nie die geleentheid gehad om sy eie N|u taal te leer nie. Hy was ‘n uitstekende sprekers wat homself in die Afrikaanse taal presies uitgedruk het, en hy het sy boodskap duidelik en verstaanbaar oorgedra. Steenkamp het nuwe uitdagings op die internasionale arenas te kampe gehad. Die taal Engels, was vir hom die nuwe uitdaging. Steenkamp het daardie uitdaging met ope oë tegemoet gegaan en vir homself geleer om Engels te praat. Hy het daarin geslaag en sy toesprake in Engels duidelik en verstaanbaar vir almal gelewer.

 

That was in itself the way of the San. The San people would rise to the occasion and be equal to the task. The San adapted to adverse situations and conditions for many years.    

Andries Steenkamp had a dream. That dream was establishing a trust that would hold funds from the San traditional knowledge benefit sharing. The San would be in charge of monetary benefits that would proceed out of their traditional intellectual knowledge.

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Four years after Steenkamp’s departure, a trust was established on October 2020 and named after him, Andries Steenkamp Benefit Sharing Trust. That was and is befitting for honouring the dreams and legacy of Steenkamp.

 

The Trust carries a huge responsibility of assisting San Communities in their efforts to protect their traditional knowledge, conservation and promotion of biodiversity, the preservation of cultural heritage, provision of education and the development of improved livelihoods. The Trust seeks to carry out its responsibilities with respect, honesty, fairness and care.